SPALDING FIRE BRIGADE

In 1902 Long Sutton and Holbeach had better equipped and better trained fire brigades than the much larger Spalding as Spalding Urban District Council was reluctant to spend money on the service:

“…..it is questionable whether there is a town in Lincolnshire in which the forces available for grappling with a conflagration are so antiquated and eminently unsatisfactory as Spalding. Compare the Spalding Fire Brigade  and its equipment even with that of Holbeach and the result is far from flattering to Spalding. In the smaller town, the men have appropriate uniform, are from the Superintendent downward thoroughly qualified for their work, practice frequently and with enthusiasm, and have appliances quite up to date.”[1]

Quite often the Holbeach brigade offered to meet the Spalding brigade for a demonstration or even a friendly competition, but this was always declined. It had to be noted that to be in Spalding Fire Brigade at that time you had to be at least 30 years old.

In 1920 at the Spalding Fire Brigade annual dinner it was hoped that the Fire Brigade would have uniform “at some stage in the future” for all its personnel. It was hoped that the members of the fire brigade might have a suitable uniform so that when attending fires they could be distinguished from the public, let alone the protection it would give. The state of the fire brigade was at this time attracting local ridicule and the local press saw fit to post a cartoon showing the Brigade’s premises “closed for repairs” and the willing firemen on parade in uniform, which was an admitted act of artistic license for they had none.

1923 saw the Spalding Urban District Council’s clerk surprised by the delivery of a new fire engine for Spalding that he did not order:

“The new Spalding fire engine had arrived, although only a very few privileged persons have as yet seen it. What is more, it is a motor fire engine, and even further than that – one has to be tactful about this point, or it might unnecessarily ruffle the hair of the present firemen – two brand new expert firemen have come in charge of it, handsomely uniformed in blue, with helmet and hatchet complete. The engine is painted a glowing red, with a modern escape ladder place in position over the hose box, which, however, nobody has yet peeped into. The only drawback it possesses, compared with the manual, as far as the Free Press representative could see, is that the firemen will have to stand dangerously on the narrow platform on each side of the vehicle, steadying themselves in a 50-mile rush to scenes of conflagration by holding tightly on to the escape ladder.

But miracles, like troubles, do not come singly. Thus the ratepayers will emit a high sigh of profound relief when it is stated that the new fire engine will not cost them a single penny piece, it having been presented gratuitously by a generously disposed donor who desires to remain anonymous.” At this stage not all the fire brigade had uniform still, although this was remedied.

1928 saw a dispute over wages. It needs to be remembered that the members of the Fire Brigade were paid by S.U.D.C. only when they attended. At this time the Council operated the gasworks and the following dispute over pay arose as it was perceived Council employees who attended fires were being paid twice. Four employees were affected: two were salaried, the keeper of the Corn Exchange and the caretaker of the recreation ground and they had no deduction of wages when attending fires; another two employees were paid hourly wages, a bricklayer for the highways department, and a stoker for the gasworks, they did have deductions from their wages when attending fires. The reasoning behind this was that the wage earners had to have someone else do their jobs in their absence whereas the salaried employees did not!  Whether this was pragmatism or old fashioned class discrimination I will leave the reader to judge.

[1] Spalding Free Press Oct 7 1902